Dancing on Water
by Aspendragon
Summary: She goes out of her way to find something important to him, but Axel claims its long gone. What'll happen when she does find the body of Lea? AxelOC DemyxOC


_ This is a sequel to "Unwritten Secret" but it is not necessary to read it, but reading it would explain some of the things in DoW._

**Dancing on Water**

_A Kingdom Hearts story_

Aspendragon

**..::Introduction::..**

**..::A Job Well Done::..**

"_Always once upon a time,_

_in New York City…"_

Artemis was an odd name for a city dweller, not in those exact words, but everyone she first meets makes a comment about it. At seventeen, she was used to it.

Now, said girl was about as normal as one could get considering she lived in the Big Apple. She was a native, living in an old dorm off campus grounds of New York's pricey university. At the moment, school was on summer break and Artemis was bored.

Since NYU was rather expansive, the reader must imagine Artemis works to afford tuition. Alias, she's a lazy protagonist, but she does work, in a sense. When alley ways began overcrowding with shadows with glowing, egg-white eyes, Artemis has been employed for her unique _ability_.

Let her show you what I mean.

"I have other plans," stated Artemis, swiping a straight blonde strand out of her face. Her employer, Sykes, a loan-shark with a steep reputation, snarled. His two normally aggressive Doberman pinschers watched on silently as they sat next to his desk. The sheer abnormality of their behavior kept the large man from going berserk around this smartass of a girl, not that a bullet couldn't take her, but her power gave him a taut leash on his equally cruel business partners. Of which, he has pleasure having power over.

No one else in New York City had Artemis' capabilities and he enjoyed taking advantage of the city's decreasing state to make money for himself.

"Dealing with you is what makes taking advantage of the poor and stupid appealing, Artemis." Confessed Sykes as he placed his hands together on top of his desk. "How much do you want _this time_."

If there was one thing they had in common as human beings, their love of the big dollar signs. It was their vice and they knew it, one could say it was in their genes with Sykes' maniacal nature and Artemis' wicked tongue. They wanted money, through each other, they learned more about obtaining and loaning it every day.

In this case, Artemis didn't give him a choice. _Hand_ her the money or that firm, powerful leash will snap and she'll be anybody's fair game. Sykes definitely feared one of his opponents getting a hold of Artemis' useful ability.

With the topic of her pay was brought up, as Sykes predicted, her green eyes brightened.

"Make it double than it was last time," Sykes frowned.

"If I thought you couldn't do it-" he began.

"-you wouldn't accept it. I _am_ a college student on a budget." Artemis reminded him slyly, Sykes rolled his eyes and muttered to himself as he rubbed his temples gingerly.

"Fine," that said along with a check, Artemis found herself saying farewell. Soon after patting Roscoe and Desoto on their heads (and when they didn't so much as growl Sykes did so instead) she let herself out. Once she stepped out of the elevator and eventually, the building, she was striding down a seemingly unstable barge. Putting a pair of ear buds in her ears, she lightly bobbed her head to the beat of her music.

The address Sykes had given her would take her clear across town, a journey she would take on the subway.

As she walked along the barge, the slopping sound of the water below made her edgy, despite the number of times she had made this visit. Artemis didn't have much of a fondness for a water, standing for it only when she had to take showers. Her pace picked up and soon she was on solid, standing ground once more.

It was well into the evening when she found the concrete stairwell that led down to one of New York's many subway stations. Swiping her metro card, Artemis made an easy entrance before waiting for the underground train. As someone with strange, unusual abilities, Artemis found her life taking an irregular turn when she turned ten.

Today was no exception.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as an unfamiliar aura graced the small platform. On occasion, an aura wasn't a bad thing. Yet as the creatures known as Heartless began flooding the dark streets of NY, Artemis found herself working more and more around sinister characters and on some days, has been forced to confront them.

Artemis strained to catch the scent of the person the aura belonged to, she could tell it was a male, but her power hasn't advanced enough to strengthen her nose any further beyond that characteristic. Her body stiffened when the aura suddenly appeared right beside her, in the form of a hooded man. She glared at him out of the corner of her eyes, he was taller with a broad frame.

The man didn't so much as flinch or chuckle when the hood shifted slightly to allow his face to peer at her. Artemis' heartbeat quickened, but she refused to back down from the stranger.

"…" without another word, the hood looked ahead again and Artemis did the same. Down along the tracks, the subway train could be heard making it's way to where they were standing. As it sped by then slowed to a halt, the pair moved only when the doors opened. Except the man didn't follow her in, one moment he was there taking a step on the train alongside Artemis, the next he vanished.

The blonde openly snarled, an almost inhuman sound that terrified the boarding Chinese pedestrians entering right behind her. Without apologizing, Artemis went to sit in a corner, where she would be sitting for the next fifteen minutes.

When the subway began to slow down less than twenty minutes later, Artemis got off and when she resurfaced to the outside world a blast of cold air rushed by her. Her hair stood on end again and the scent reeked of darkness. This was a shady part of New York City, downtown where the homeless gathered around trashcan fires and squatters thrived. Artemis, wary as ever, began to make her way along the sidewalk.

"Hey there, girlie, wanna come and sit on Papa's lap?" a man in shaggy clothes asked lustfully, Artemis eyes looked away as she walked past, the afternoon breeze getting colder and colder with each step. Another man crossed her path, his scrawny form evident as his baggy clothes hung from him like his skeleton was a hanger. Artemis thought she recognized him as being another 'client' of Sykes. Yet the man was so absorbed in his baffled mutterings he didn't even glance up to find her curious eyes on him. He didn't smell of alcohol like most of the deranged homeless did, but he held the same panicked, almost fearful look about him and worry radiated off of him in ultraviolet waves.

Artemis stopped walking to watch the man walk further down the street, when he vanished around the corner of a decrepit, dark gray building she faintly saw the outlines of several dogs. She smiled, those dogs meant no harm and from the smell, were not chasing after the man with vicious intent.

She continued on her way.

Attached to the address Sykes had given her was a three-story, Gothic-styled house that had definitely seen better days. The wood was cracking and the front steps were broken in half save for one. The paint had started peeling years ago and wood-craving insects drilled holes through the bare planks. A couple of crows and pigeons were pecking at the musty grass in front of the house, they scattered the moment Artemis approached the old mailbox.

The quarter moon was glaring down at the earth, it's sliver of light just barely illuminating Artemis' way, but she favored this time setting. Night was when the creatures of the day slumbered and the real fun began.

As if on command, nocturnal creatures both outside and inside the house began scramble about under the secure blanket of darkness. Peering up at one of the second-story windows, Artemis caught sight of the milky-eyes of the monster Sykes had told her were called Heartless. The oncoming sense of the hunt and violence sure to pursue tonight's job spiked her blood, adrenaline was already approaching a dangerous point.

Unlike during the day, her senses were far more alert, plus her sixth sense matched her excitement. She scented a dark hole in the house, of which, the Heartless were appearing and spawning.

Vivid marks invisible before then appeared on Artemis' visible arms and neck. Under her eyes were jagged, navy blue stripes that normally revealed themselves during a summons. A small gale picked up, down the street Artemis heard trashcan fires tip over and the homeless victims scattered about to right them again.

_Shheeewwww!_ The surrounding wind swirled together beside Artemis, the air particles condensing into a lupine figure. Something akin to fur sprouted from the form as it solidified, two ruby eyes glowed like a pair of full moons on the head, the overall creature took on the color of ultramarine and bore rhombus-shaped, white spots along it's pelt. The last of its form to emerge from the condensed wind was a flowing, violet mane and it's tail split into two, riveting white ribbons coursing beside both of its flanks.

The wind vanished and the canine stood beside Artemis with an air of mystery and divinity.

"Another house tonight, Suicune," Artemis claimed, the pokemon's eyes narrowed on the building before them. It gave her a doubt-ridden facial expression, or what Artemis took to be one.

"It won't fall in on us like the last one did, hopefully," Artemis stated, shuddering from the memory, if it hadn't been for Suicune last time she wouldn't be here now. Suicune gave a small huff, its muscles tensing, showing it was revealed for battle.

The blonde smirked, for an embodied spring, Suicune was rather bloodthirsty.

"All right then, let's mist the place up." Artemis said, a subtle hint to an order. Suicune obeyed, it's eyes gleamed an eerie light, a thick mist appeared out of nowhere. The spawning Heartless from within the house twittered along the walls of the façade. Their eyes were all that distinguished them apart once Suicune's Mist took hold of the premises.

"…" silent communication reared the two into battle, every once in a while Suicune would use a water-based attack, Artemis would deftly leap out of the way and crash into something. The pokemon would give her an exasperated look, as if wondering why she wasn't used to it by now.

It was _her_ element after all.

Halfway into the battle, the two launched into the building. The series of events pushed the pair from one floor to the next, until they're 'extermination' landed them in the basement.

The cellar appeared as old as the rest of the house, an echo of a constant drip sounded from the shadows. Artemis easily knocked out the remaining Heartless and destroyed the pulsing, violet splotch of darkness growing from the floor like a tumor. In a splash of black and dark purple, their job was done.

"Hm…see? Place isn't cavin' in Suicune," Artemis pointed out, the pokemon resisted rolling its eyes.

"_Cuuune_," it growled before making its exit, bubbles trailing behind it as Suicune's form dissolved into water vapor. Artemis smiled, happily thinking about the amount of cash she was going to withdraw tomorrow from the bank.

"Nice fighting," someone remarked, Artemis leaped out of her skin, her body swinging around to find the person from earlier at the subway station standing there. Or, at least, that's who it looked like. Upon closer inspection and greater scrutiny, Artemis found this stranger to be female and a lot shorter, around her height of five seven.

The hood was drawn up, Artemis strained her unique eyes to make out her features. Red eyes glared out from the dark contours of the girl's face, a light smirk played on her lips.

"A friend of mine saw you earlier," she said, she drew back her hood, straight, white locks of hair fell onto her shoulders, some of it pinned back in a silver clip on the left side of her head. Artemis made out the end of a jagged scar beginning alongside her throat and down into the torso where the black cloak began.

"He said you had a unique power, but you seem…rather weary of it?" the albino continued, Artemis frowned, she flexed her fingers.

"Ah, hold on, you can't tell me you have a _fear_ of your power do you?" the girl continued, silver studs glinted off her ears, but unlike some of the punks in New York, she only had a single piercing in each ear.

"At least you have something effective against the Heartless, some folk aren't as lucky." The albino continued as she brushed back a strand of hair behind her right ear. Easy going and confident, that's what Artemis sensed. The red eyes of the stranger scanned over Artemis.

"I'm sorry, I forgot my manners, name's Chenry Eleven." The albino finally introduced herself. Her hands vanished into a pair of pockets Artemis didn't notice it had. Adding a slight slouch to her posture, Chenry looked well at home in the dark depths of the house.

"Artemis," the blonde replied, still not allowing herself to be caught with her guard down. "Who the hell are you? Who was that guy before? He vanished into _thin air_!"

The girl called Chenry laughed.

"He's a good guy, trust me, curiosity comes to him a little too easily I'm afraid," Chenry claimed, her eyes wandering off a corner of the damp ceiling.

"This place is a little too wet for my liking, I guess we can thank that creature of yours…a pokemon wasn't it? I knew a pokemon once…" Chenry trailed off as if lost in thought, Artemis raised an eyebrow.

"Um, you still didn't answer my question, who are you people? In the black cloaks? Some new gang on the block or something?" The blonde questioned again, Chenry shook her head.

"Not a gang by any sorts, we don them for our own purposes, personally I find them comfortable." Chenry explained, then her face became serious, the visible part of her scar along her neck and collarbone seemed to gain an ounce of vivid color.

"You are not a keyblade wielder, that much has been found out. My friend figured you had the potential to summoning one…but it appears he was mistaken." She seemed to be talking more to herself than to Artemis, said blonde growled.

"Now what is this? Keyblade wielder? Seriously, what the hell is going one?" Artemis felt ignored as the albino took a step back, as if surveying her surroundings with a careful eye.

"Organization XIII is back on the move, watch yourself. Keyblade or not, strong hearts are strong hearts." Chenry claimed before turning around, mumbling under her breath about 'convenient black portals.'

"Organization XIII?" Artemis repeated, but went after the albino as the girl began venturing up the stairs. The blonde grabbed her shoulder halfway up the stairs.

"I have a right to know if I'm in danger!" Artemis snarled, since she was drawn to an abrupt halt, Chenry glared over her shoulder at the girl. The stripes that normally appeared with a summoning were rising up along her skin again, Chenry's eyes narrowed on Artemis'.

"Perhaps you're right, but I'm not in the mood to converse any further." Chenry claimed, the blonde's eyes flashed.

"You're not in the _mood_? Are you flipping serious? My life could be at stake and you're not in the _mood_ to explain-"

"IF you're so curious, get over that ridiculous phobia and follow me." Chenry snarled before ripping her shoulder out of Artemis' grasp and walking up the rest of the way up the stairs. Slightly stunning, Artemis shook her head, collected her thoughts, then launched up the stairs in hot pursuit of the albino.

"So…I'm in danger? Of what, the Heartless hardly faze me, so you must be speaking of this Organization XIII." Artemis brought up as she followed Chenry out of the house and across the neglected lawn. She had to work her legs to keep up with Chenry's brisk pace.

"For the most part, but there are plenty of villains to consider as well." Chenry claimed, Artemis eyed her scar when she said that. "For instance, that Sykes guy, what's your deal with him?"

"What's it to you? I can take care of myself," Artemis retorted coldly, Chenry gave her an equally icy look.

"I'm well aware, but you have been fighting the same old thing for the last year or so right? What if something new comes along, wouldn't you prefer a warning in advance?"

"Well, most sane people would. But me? I enjoy a challenge every once in a while,"

"Even if it means your life?"

"I don't fight alone, if you haven't noticed."

"Right, you risk your own and the well beings of others, how admirable," Chenry remarked with a chilly demeanor.

"Again, what's it to you?"

"All for school tuition huh?"

"What else?"

Chenry remained silent, Artemis didn't have the mind to change that. They continued to walk, to the point Artemis' legs began to burn painfully. They passed several subway stations, metro bus stops, waiting taxi cabs, but still Chenry walked and Artemis followed. While they walked, Artemis would catch glimpses of where the black fabric tightened against Chenry's biceps and took a note of our muscular they seemed in comparison to the average girl's.

This girl had been trained, but by whom and for what purpose? She didn't seem like the type that had been disciplined by the ordinary karate dojo.

"I'm going to ask you something and I hope you answer it honestly if at all," Artemis broke the silence as they walked into Grand Central Park. The moon glimmered overhead, it's weak light not pushing past the tree canopies.

"Are you a part of this Organization XIII? Are you leading me to my death or something?" Chenry's eyebrows raised before the albino graced Artemis with a skeptical look.

"What's it to you?" she mocked, Artemis' cheeks burned with ire.

"I'm serious!" she growled.

"I'm not planning on killing you,"

"So you _are_ a member of this mob or gang or whatever?"

"Not a gang or a mob, things would be so much simpler that way."

Artemis glanced over at her as they came to a clearing. They came to a stop in the center of it, the blonde nearly collapsed from exhaustion, her hamstrings were throbbing from the intense walking. Once there, Chenry pulled out a phone, Artemis gave the keychain an odd look.

"Got a thing for redheads?" she asked, Chenry smiled a secret smile, Artemis wasn't sure to be creeped out or not by the sudden appearance of a light glint to her red eyes. Was that sadness or happiness? Why couldn't the girl give Artemis' somewhat keen senses a hint? She smelled of sweat (so she was getting a workout too during all that walking,) and a touch of burned paper and blood.

"I'm trying to," Chenry claimed as her thumb beat against her cell phone's keypad. In the distance, a _Metallica_ ring tone sang. Artemis was confused, but when she looked at Chenry, who was smiling with amusement, she figured they were still safe.

Chenry spoke into her phone when the ring tone was cut off.

"Did you find him?" Chenry asked, a small hint of excitement broke into her voice, funny how cold it was before.

"Aw, no hello, Cherry-chan?" a masculine voice spoke back from the phone, but the voice was coming from elsewhere as well. Artemis started when she saw two figures break out of the scenery opposite of them. One held a phone to his ear, the other was wearing shades despite the time. As they drew closer, Chenry hung up and slid her phone into one of the cloak's invisible pockets.

"Nice outfit, how are you, Riku, and the King getting a hold of those?" the redhead, who looked mysteriously like the keychain attached to Chenry's phone, greeted, he too put away his mobile. His well-built partner didn't say a word, but did give Artemis a sideways glance.

"And who is this?" the man with red hair questioned further, Chenry sighed.

"This is Artemis, Riku told me she had a strange power he never ran into before, so naturally, he _asks_ me to look into it for him." Chenry explained, "About the cloaks, we made them ourselves."

"Seriously?"

"No," Chenry retorted bluntly, the redhead shook his head.

"Anyway-" he began.

"Whoa, whoa, hold on, who are you two?" Artemis broke in, the redhead grinned at her, Chenry's face darkened when the blonde interrupted the redhead's sentence.

"I'm Reno, this here is Rude."

"Pleasure,"

"Anyway, back to the point," Chenry growled, gaining Reno's attention again, her eyes were lighting up.

"Did you find him?"

"Yes," Reno claimed, Chenry didn't smile, but her eyes did. "Took us a few worlds, a couple of our men, a chopper or two…"

"But you found him," Chenry couldn't help but say this with a smile as it broke across her face. "Where is he? Where did you leave him?"

"We brought him to Hallow Bastion, Merlin liked the idea of bringing him to Yen Sid as well, but the wizard wasn't home." Reno claimed, Artemis was so lost.

"Still, we found him," Chenry felt like crying, but refused to share this with anyone, "we found him."

* * *

**A/N:**_ Sorry it took so long, but here it is! Sequel to "Unwritten Secret" we have "Dancing on Water!" To take care of any confusion, this takes place before Sora goes to "The World That Never Was." Who is Chenry talking about and what happened to her will be explained in due time and don't worry, I have not forgotten Mewtwo, Robin Hood, and Spyro. Absolutely not. _


End file.
